Omaha daily bee., 1887-03-13

This IS agreeably to the policy which Mr..
Whitney, so far as we are aware, is the
first secretary of the navy to inaugurate,
and ii is at least to be hoped that the de-
parture will have good results. 1t has
subjected the secretary to some criticism,
chiefly for the reeson that he has shown
strong disposition to favor foreign
plans, and it is very certain that unless
the policy is justified by unmistakable
advantages Mr.. Whitney must be con-
siderable loser in popularity. However.
there are unquestionably sound reasons
why this government should avail
itself of the best wisdom and expert
ence 1t can command in recon
structing the navy. The progress of this
work will be regarded by the country
with steadily increasing interest.
Very few people, we suppose, have an
accurate knowledge of what provision
has been made by congress for giving the
countrya navy or, at least, the nucleus
of one. We have to start with the old
monitor Miantonomah. Next comes the
steel cruisers, the Boston, Chicago and
Atlanta, and the dispatch boat, the Dol
Bhlhs lutlC utC luO lOui otCCl
cruisers authorized by the act of 1885, and
for which the contracts were recently let.
Last years act provided for two armed
vessels of about 5000 tons each, the plans
for which are now being drawn, and also
for four monitors, the bids for whose ar.
NOR and guns are now being received.
The estimates further include one torpe-
do boat and one cruiser with dynamite
guns. This cruiser, which is designed to
be simply a floating gun n-carriage posses
sing extraordinary speed, will carry one
of the Zalinskl dynamite guns, charac
terized by the London Times as "the
most Internal triumph of American inge.
nuity." The speed of this cruiser
Is to be at least twenty knots
though much more is expected The
guns now in process of construction will
throw 400 pounds of nitro-gelatine to a
| calculated distance of two miles. If this
boat can do the work claimed, the de-
structiveness of its bombardment can
scarcely be realized. The bill passed
near the close of the last session provided
for six more steel cruisers and one tor
pedo boat, All this, when carried out
will give us a navy of sixteen steel
cruisers, five monitors, two heavily
armored vessels, and two torpedo boats.
The cruisers, except the dynamite boat,
| will carry from six to ten guns.
This will certainly be very respect
able beginning, and with the start thus
made the work of creating such navy
| as the country ought to haye may be eX-
| pccted to continue until we have an
adequate supply of thoroughly service.
able modern ships, capable of protecting
| the commerce of the nation should there
ever be demand for it's protection. The
cruisers now in prospect are not intended
to be war ships, but will be designed
rather as commerce destroyers, yet
they will be constructed with refer
ence to any exigency that might arise
| demanding their employment. The
measures providing for these vessels
carried with them provision for steel
guns and armor, and it will not be long
before large gun factory will be fully
under way near Washington. where mod
ern ordnance for naval use will be manu-.
factured. 1t will thus be seen that the
navy department no longer has any OK
cuse for being nursery of idleness,
while the country is to be congratulated
upon the fact that IN this direction at
least we are making progress.